An exposition of the morall lavv, or Ten Commandements of almightie God set dovvne by vvay of exercitations, wherein is contained an explanation of diverse questions and positions for the right understanding thereof, together with an explication of these scriptures which depend upon, or belong unto every one of the commandements, all which are cleared out of the originall languages, the customes of the Iewes, and the distinctions of the schoolemen / by Iohn Weemse ...

EXERCITAT. II. Of unjust anger, or murther in the heart. Commandement. VI.

Matt. 5.22. Whosoever is angry with his brother, &c.

THere are sundry degrees of this murther before it come to the act; First, if a man be angry with his brother unjustly, and hate him without a cause, then it is murther in the heart. Anger in it selfe is no sinne, it is cos virtutum, it is a whetstone to all the vertues, and the defect of it, is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, when a man should be angry, and yet is not angry; but this anger is a sinne, when it anteverteth reason; Christ himselfe was angry, Matt. 21.12. but his reason anteverted his anger. Ioh. 11.33. Hee troubled himselfe, his reason stirred up his passions, because reason stirred the passion and ruled it, it was just anger: but when passion stirred reason, then it is unjust anger.

Secondly, when this anger is not moderated, then it is unjust anger, as Ionas anger was, cap. 4.9. I do well to be angry even unto the death. So Moses anger; his passion blinded him so, that he speaketh to God in the feminine gender, Num. 11.15. [veim cacah at gnosheh li] If thou deale so with me, kill me I pray thee.

Anger followeth reason more then concupiscence, & concupiscence is more brutish: when anger revengeth it selfe, it is sub ratione vindictae, but lust hath no regard to reason. This anger being exorbitant, is turned into sin, and the philosopher compares it to an hasty servant that runnes away before he get all the directions from his master; and unto a dog that barketh at his master when he knockes at the doore, before he know him; so anger when it stayeth not to be directed by reason.

And thirdly, when it endureth too long, then it is not just anger, Let not the Sun goe downe upon your wrath. Eph. 4.26. and anger resteth in the bosom of fooles. Eccl. 7.9.

There is nothing that a man is more tryed in, then in his anger, the Hebrewes have a proverbe, Bekis bekos, bekagnas, that is, a man is tried by his purse, by his cup, and by his anger: if hee bee soone angry, hee is contrary to the Lord who is slow to anger. Nahum. 1.3. The Lord is slow to anger, and [Gadol coah] great in power. So Num. 14.17. And now I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord bee great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, the Lord is long suffering, and of great mercy, and a man of this spirit is called a man of a coole spirit. Prov. 17.27. and Mat. 18.26. Produc super me spiri∣tum tuum; that is, have patience, and Erech Appaijm, one who hath wide nostrils, Exod. 34.6. For he who hath narrow nostrils, commonly is of a hasty spirit.

So if hee continue in his anger; there is nothing that a man is more ready to keepe then his wrath, and there∣fore the Hebrewes put Servare, pro servare iram, as Ier. 3.5. Will hee reserve for ever, that is, will he reserve his anger for ever. Psal. 103.9. Neither will hee keepe for ever, that is, hee will not keepe his anger for ever. So Levit. 19.18. Thou shalt not revenge [Velotittor] nor keep, that is, thou shalt not keepe thine anger against thy bro∣ther. Esau kept his anger against his brother Iacob untill

the day of his fathers death. Gen. 27.41. and his poste∣rity after him, who said, rase it, rase it, even to the foun∣dation thereof. Psal. 127.7.

[Quest.] Whether is this a commandement or not, when the Lord saith, be angry, but sinne not. Ephes. 4.9.

[Answ.] Although it seeme to bee given out by way of com∣mandement, yet it is rather to be understood here con∣ditionally; If yee bee angry sinne not, so Psal. 86.1. The Lord ariseth and his enemies will be scattered; that is, if the Lord arise, his enemies will bee scattered. So Verse 9. Thou O God sentst a plentifull raine, and thou confirmedst thine inheritance, that is, when thou sendest a plentifull raine, thy inheritance is confirmed.

The vertue contrary to this continuing in anger, is to seeke to be reconciled to our neighbour. Exod. 23.5. If thou see the Asse of him that hateth thee lying under his burden and wouldest forbeare to helpe him; thou shalt surely helpe with him. The Chaldee paraphrast in his para∣phrase hath it this way; when thou seest the Ass of him that hateth thee lying under the burden, thou shalt leave thine owne businesse, thou shalt leave the Asse with his burden, and thou shalt leave thine hatred, and bee reconciled to thy neighbour; and then thou shalt learne to know quickly, what it is to helpe the Asse of him that hateth. So Christ, Mat. 5. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar & there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave thy gift at the Altar, and goe and be reconciled to thy brother; so, leave the Asse for a while, and first bee reconciled to thy enemy: the Lords chiefe intention is here of reconciliation, hath God regard of Asses. 1. Cor. 9.9?

Secondly, this murther commeth to the eye; the hea∣••hen said, animus habitat in oculis, the minde dwelleth in the eye; there is an evill eye, which is a covetous eye. Prov. 23.6. Eat not the bread of him that hath an evill

eye, that is, of a covetous eye; so there is an adulterous eye. 2. Pet. 2.14. And there is an envious eye, Deut. 15.9. Take heed that thine eye be not evill against thy brother; and there is a murthering eye, 1. Sam. 18.9. And Saul eyed David from that day forward, Hebraicè, he looked upon him with an evill eye: So Iob. 16.9. Mine enemie sharpeneth his eye upon me; these the Greeks call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, these who looke fiercely.

Thirdly, this murther sheweth it selfe in the counte∣nance, Gen. 4. Why is thy countenance fallen, Aph is called the nose, and it is called anger, because anger sheweth it selfe in the nose, and so I take that place. Esay. 2.22. Cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils, that is, med¦dle not with Christ, who if his wrath he once kindled, yee perish from the way. Psal. 2.12. The breath to be in the nostrils is commonly taken to bee a signe of infirmity, because the breath sheweth it selfe at the nose.

But it would seeme here that it signifieth infirmitie, for the words following imports infirmitie, [Ki ba me] wherein is he to be esteemed?

The words should not bee read Ba me, wherein, but [Bamme] excelsus in one word, because he is esteemed the high and mighty, beware that yee anger him not, for hee is the mighty God; and the words of the next chapter following import this, For behold the Lord, the Lord of hostes doth take away from Ierusalem and from Iuda, &c. this the Greeks call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth supercilium contrahere, to frowne as men doe when they are angry.

So it sheweth it selfe in the face, Levit. 17.10. I will set my face against that soule that eateth bloud; that is, mine anger. So Gen. 32.20. I will appease thy face, that is, thy anger; and Lament. 4.16. The face of the Lord hath divi∣ded them. So Ier. 3.12. I will cause my face to fall upon them, and 1. Pet. 3.12. The face of the Lord is upon them

that doe evill, that is, his anger is upon them.

Fourthly, this anger sheweth it selfe by the foaming at the mouth, therefore the Hebrewes marke, that Ke∣tzeph is put both for foame and anger. Esther 1.12. The King was very wroth, and his anger burnt within him; these the Greekes call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 who are angry untill the foame stand at their mouth.

Fifthly, they expresse the anger of the heart with their teeth, when they gnash with their teeth. Act. 7.5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is properly to saw with a saw, because their teeth goe, as if they were sawing with a saw.

Sixtly, to murther with the tongue; Ier. 18.18. Come let us smite him with the tongue. The tongue is compa∣red to a sword, and to an arrow; to a sword that killeth comminus, neare hand, and an arrow that killeth eminus, that is, afarre off. Gen. 49.23. and to the sharpest sword that is call sica, Psal. 42.10. and to a razor, and to the Iuniper coales that burne most hotly. Ps. 120.4. & to a rod, Prov. 14.3. In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride; that is, with his tongue hee beateth others. And Hierom interpreteth that place, 1. Tim. 3.3. A minister must not be a striker, that is, hee must not raile with his tongue, and vers. 18. He must not be given to wine, be∣cause when men are given to wine, they have no care of their tongue; the Hebrewes say that lingua continet pharmaca vitae & mortis, the tongue hath both the drugs of life and death, & mors & vita in manu linguae, death and life are in the power of the tongue. Prov. 18.21.

Christ describing here three degrees of anger, set∣teth downe the punishment answerable to them; and he alludeth to the punishments which were usuall amongst the Iewes; it is the manner of the scriptures to borrow comparisons from Canaan, Ierusalem, and the places about Ierusalem, to expresse the future and blessed estate of heaven, anagogically; so by other places, to expresse

the paines of the damned in hell, as Tophet is called Ge∣henna; so the lake of Sodome is called the torments of hell. Revelat 19.20. These were cast into the lake of fire, burning with fire and brimstone. So Iude. 7. and here our Saviour Christ alludeth to the punishments that were amongst the Iewes. But we must not make these three judicatories in Israel, and the three punishments spoken of here to agree all together; for in the least judicatorie in Israel they judged not of matters capitall, of life and death, but in matters of goods; but Christ saith here, hee that is angry with a man is worthy of judgement, the judgement which Christ speaketh of here, cannot be applied to these judicatories that were in Israel: and there is a third sort of judgement assigned here to Ge∣henna, but the Iudges in Israel punished none in Ge∣henna, onely the idolatrous fathers burnt their children there to Moloch: we must onely then make the compari∣son this wayes, as there were diverse sorts of punish∣ments amongst the Iewes, some lesser and some grea∣ter; So in the life to come, there shall bee smaller and greater paines and punishments, for smaller and grea∣ter sinnes; and as the greatest torment amongst the Iewes was the burning of their children unto Moloch, so for the greatest sort of anger, there shall be the grea∣test punishments in hell.

The second thing to be considered here, is the word Raca: Hebrew and Syriack words, usually are interpre∣ted in the new Testament, but this word is not inter∣preted; and the reasons are; First, because it was a word commonly used amongst the Iewes, convitium non acre sed familiare, a word which in familiar speech the ma∣ster used to the servant, as when hee called him noddie or witlesse body: So Iudg. 9.4. Abimelech. hired vaine and [Rekim] light persons, the Seventy translate it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, viros inanes, hence come the Saracens

from the Chaldee word Sarack, vacuum esse, men who lived by robbery and had nothing of their owne, as ye would say, empty men; they should not bee called Sara∣cens, from Sarah, for they came of Hagar, they should be rather called Hagarens.

A second reason wherefore this word Raca is not in∣terpreted, because there is no fit word in our language whereby to expresse it; there are some Hebrew and Greeke wordes which cannot bee fully expressed in our language. Example, Iob. 39.30. Her young ones [legna∣legnu dam] suck blood; but it is better expressed by the sound, then translated, they glut-glut bloud: So there are some words in the new Testament that cannot bee expressed well by translation, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Gal. 6.7. sig∣nifieth more then to mocke, it signifieth likewise to fleere with the nose, and with the mouth; and it is an ironie in gesture, rather then in words. So 2 Pet. 3.10. The heavens shall goe away 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 with a great noyse, it is more then a noyse, it is such a noyse as the sea maketh in a great storme.

The third thing to bee marked here is that which Chrysostome observeth; he who is angry with his brother without a cause is guilty of judgement; therefore hee who is angry with his brother for a cause, is not guilty of judgement, and if hee have a just cause he may call his brother foole; Christ called his Disciples fooles, Luc. 24.25. and so Paul called the Galatians foolish. Galat. 3.1.

The church of Rome goeth about to prove out of this place, that some sinnes are veniall, and some not; those sinnes are veniall which deserve not hell fire, but some sinnes deserve not hell fire, as when a man is an∣gry with his brother unadvisedly.

This fallacie is like to that which is propounded to boyes in the schooles.

That which thou boughtest in the market that didst thou eat.

But thou boughtest raw flesh in the market. Therefore thou didst eat raw flesh.

The boy is taught to answer to this fallacie, that here they passe from the substance in the proposition, to the accident in the assumption, from the flesh to the raw∣nesse of the flesh, and then there are quatuor termini, foure termes; and so here they passe from the meanest degrees of the paines of hell, to the highest degree; all sorts of sinnes are not punished in the highest degree of punishment, as hee that calleth his brother foole, but yet all sorts of sinnes are punished in hell with greater or lesser punishment.

The conclusion of this is; Prov. 4.23. Keepe thy heart [Conclusion. 1] with all diligence, for out of it proceed evill thoughts and murthers. Mat. 15.19.

Secondly, as sinnes increase, so doe the punishments. [Conclusion. 2]

Notes

• The degrees of murther.
• Anger is a sinne when it anteverteth reason. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, turba∣vit seipsum.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• Simile.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in marsupio 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in poculo. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in ira. He is o•• great strength that is, long suffering.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Magnus virtute, id est, longanimis. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Longas irarum, id est tardus ad iram, sic 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 brevis irarum, Pro. 14.17. id est, praeceps ad iram.
• SERVARE pro servare iram.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 non ser∣vabis, a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 servavi••
• Scriptura protonit abso¦lute & si•••• conditione quid ex Hypothesi intel∣ligs actes.
• How a man is to releive his en ••ies Asle under the burthen.
• Triplex geminatio ejus dem r••••. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• How murther sheweth it selfe in the eye.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 scribitur cum Vau & legitur 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 cum Iod 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ab 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 immanis & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ocu∣las.
• How anger sheweth it selfe in the countenance.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

  • Ira.
  • Nasus.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in quo. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 qui excels••s re∣putatas est.
• Face put for anger.
• Anger sheweth it selfe in the face.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

  • Spuma.
  • Ira.
• Anger sheweth it selfe in the teeth.
• How the tongue mur∣dereth.
• The tongue compared to diverse things.
• Christ setteth downe the three sorts of pu∣nishments answerable to three sorts of anger. The Scripture borrow∣eth comparisons from Ierusa em, Canaan, and the places about it, to shew the estate of the godly and the wicked.
• The three punishments here, and the three judicatories in Israel doe not agree in every thing.
• As there were greater and lesser punishments, for greater or lesser sins in Israel so shall there be greater or lesser paines in hell.
• Why Raca is not inter∣preted in the new Te∣stament.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 vacui ce∣rebro, Rabince. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 vacuum esse.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 naso suspen∣do, subsannio, a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 naris, nasus.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Impe∣tus cum stridore, factū per onomatopaean ad im∣itationem soni literae ρ, ut βόμβος ex sono τοῦ β.
• To be angry for a just cause is no sinne.
• The Papists argument to prove veniall sinnes.